Adjusting device for furniture.



No. 7|4,|77. Patented Novpzs', |902.

f F. L *HAnms Y ADJUSTING DEVICE FUR FURNITURE.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 19012) 2-Shevets$heet I.

(No Model.)

' No. 7l4,|77. Patented Nov. 25,1902.

Ff L. HARRIS.; ADJUSTING DEVICE. FOR FURNITURE.

' (Applicatoxi led'De 18, 1901.) am' Model.) 2 sheets-snm 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

FRANK L. HARRIS, OF MEDINA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO S. A. COOK is COMPANY, COPARTNERSHIP OF S. A. COOK, DON J. BIGELOW, GEORGE A. BOWEN, AND MILFORD W. CHILDS, OF MEDINA, NEW YORK.

ADJUSTING DEVICE FOR FURNITURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 714,177, dated November 25, 1902. Application led December 18,1901. Serial No. 86,362. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: ranged to be moved to various positions, these Be it'known thatI, FRANK L. I-IARRIs,aciti parts being of any preferred construction. Zen of the United States, residing at Medina,` Connecting the swinging back and a stationin the county of Orleans and State of New ary partfpreferably the arm B, is the adjust- 5 York, have invented new and usefulImproveing and retaining device, comprising two in- 55 ments in Adjusting Devices for Furniture, of tertitting alining members-one pivoted to which the following is a specilication. each of the said movable and stationary parts,

My invention relates to improvements in respectively-and a device arranged at times reclining-chairs and other articles of furnito lock said members against relative movero ture wherein twoparts are arranged in movment in one direction and at times to reverse 6o able relation to each other and are adapted its position and permit the free relative moveto be held in different positions; and it has ment ofthe parts. for its object to improve the construction of The preferred embodimentof myinvention, the means employed to eect the adjustments which I have illustrated in the drawings, com- 15 and retain the parts in the desired positions. prises as the intertitting members two tele- 65 In the drawings I have illustrated my inscopically-arranged metallic sections, 1 indivention as applied to a Morris chair; but it cating the exterior tubular section, and 2 the is obvious that the same may be employed in interior section, which may be tubular or connection with any form of chair, couch, or solid, as preferred. The exterior section 1 is zo other article wherein ready adjustability of a preferably connected at its forward end by a 7o movable element relative toa main or stationtransverse pivot 3 to a short stud 4, projectary element is a desideratum. ing downward from a plate 5, attached tothe In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevaunder side of the arm B, while the interior tion of a portion of a chair embodying one section 2 is preferably pivotally secured to z5 form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudithe chair-back C, as by bending the end of 75 nalverticalsection showing theholdingmeans 'said section so that it will pass transversely in the operative position taken during the tb rough the side frame of the back, the side forward movement of the chair-back. Fig. 3 frame being suitably reinforced, as with a is a similar view showing the holding means bearing 6, to receive the bent end. The pre- 3o in the position assumed when the limit of foroise mode of attachment of these sections, o ward movementis reached. Fig. 4 is a simihowever, is unimportant, the only requisites lar view showing the holding means in the being that each be severally connected with inoperative position taken during the rearits controlling chair element in such manner ward movement of the chair-back; and Fig. as to give it a certain range of vertical pivotal 35 5 is a detail View, partly in section, illustratmovement for the preservation of the aline- 85 ing the direct manual operation of the holdment of the sections. The exterior section 2 ing means of which my device is capable inis provided on its under surface with a pludependently of its automatic action. Fig. 6 rality of perforations 7, arranged in a longiis a side elevation. of another form of adjusttudinal line, said line terminating at each end 4o ing device embodying my invention, part of with a longitudinally-elongated opening 8 for 9o the outer telescopic section or member being a purpose hereinafter described. The forbroken away. Fig. 7 is a similar view illus- Ward end of the interior section 2 is slotted, trating parts in another position. Fig. 8 is a as at 9, for the reception of a pawl l0, secured side View of a third form of my invention. toa transverse horizontal pivot 12, having l5 I will rst confine the description of my inbearings in the sides of the recessed section, 95

vention to that form thereof illustrated in near the end thereof. The pawl 10 is pref- Figs. 1 to 5, as for some purposes that is the erably of the shape shown, 'having a bodyr form which I prefer to use. portion 13 and atoothlt. The pawlis gravity- A represents a chair-frame having an arm operated, and when the parts are in the posi- 5o B and provided with a swinging back C, artion shown in Fig. 2 .the tooth rests in one of loo p chair-back, against rearward movelnent.

the perforations 7 in the exterior tube 2, thereby locking the part 1, and consequently tlle s canv be readily seen, however, when the parts are in the position above described the chairback can be swung forward to a more upright position at will until the pawl reaches the elongated opening 8 at the forward end of the section l, when it falls into the hanging position. (Shown in Fig. 3.) The direction of movement of the back can then be reversed, and the pawl will assu me the position shown in Fig. 4;, so that the sections 1 and 2 are freely movable relative to each other. When the back is moved to its extreme rearward limit, the pawl again reverses itself in the rearward slot 8 and resumes its operative position. It is desirable, however, that the parts should be so arranged that the pawl can be operated to lower the chair-back without putting the occupant to the trouble of raising the back to its utmost limit of forward movement to disengage the pawl and then lowering the back to its extreme4 rearward limit to bring the pawl again into operative position, and to this end I bevel the bearing-face of the pawltooth 14 slightly for a distance alittle greater than the thickness of the tubular section 1. Thus should it be desired to lower the back the pawls may be lifted by pressing thereon with the fingers, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the beveled surface of the tooth comes in contact with the edge of the perforations, when rearward pressure on the back causes the pawl to slide out of the hole entirely and into the perforation next in rear thereof. A quick rearward movement imparted to the chairback where the pawl is so lifted will cause the pawl to slide over several holes before it engages with a perforation, and so a rearward,

movement may be attained without the usual preliminary forward movement.

I prefer that a positive stop should be eniployed to limit the range of movement of the parts to that required for successful operation in the manner described, and to that end the tubular section 1 is preferably provided with a slot 15, corresponding in length with l the desired range of movement, while the interior section 2 is provided with a set-screw 16, fitting in said slot.

I have in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 illustrated two other forms of my invention for the purpose of showing how differently parts of the adjusting device may be constructed without departing from the spirit and principal of the invention. In the form of invention illustrated in these views the shape of the intertting parts is polygonal ,in cross-section. The outer or tubular section is designated 1' and the interior section 2. The latter section in the form of invention represented in Figs. 6 and 7 has a portion of its upper edge serrated or toothed, as indicated at 7', and the pawl 10', which engages with this toothed portion of the intertting member 2, is carried by the outer section 1 and is in the form of a link or loop. The toothed member 2' of the device is provided with stops or shoulders 8 at the ends of the series of serrations or teeth 7', which stops or shoulders operate to cause a reversal of the pawl 10 as the sliding member 2 reaches the limits kof its longitudinal movements. The pawl is held in engagement with the toothed or serrated edge of the member 2' inthe construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 by gravity.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 8 differs from that shown in Figs. 6 and .7, principallyin that the lower edge of the member 2 is serrated instead of the upper edge and the pawl is held up in engagement therewith by a spring 17. Thespring is arranged so as to hold the pawl either in the active position (represented in full lines) inengagement with the ratchet-teeth 7 or in the inactive position (represented in dotted lines) and out of engagement with the teeth. The spring yields to allow the pawl to be moved from one position to the other as thev shoulders or stops 8 alternately engage therewith.

A spring similar to that represented at 17 might be combined with the form of invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in order to prevent any possible failure of the pawl to engage with the ratchet-teeth.

I do not in this application claim the speciiic forms of invention shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8, and it is not, therefore, necessary to describe these formsmore in detail.

From a comparison of the several forms of the invention it is apparent that the reversible pawl which is employed may be of various shapes and may be either spring-actuated or4 actuated by gravity; that the projections with which the pawl engages may be either in the form of serrations or teeth or perforations; that the pawl and the projections with which it engages may be formed upon either of the interlitting sections of the adjusting device, as preferred, and that the pawl may be arranged either above or below the part with which it engages.

I have stated that I prefer the form of invention shownin Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and this is partly for the reason that the adjusting devices there shown can be made out of tubes and round metal rods, so that it is not necessary to fabricate specially-shaped material from which to construct the interfitting parts.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In furniture, the combination with a stationary part and a movable part, of a connecting device comprising two telescopically-arranged sections connected with the movable and stationary parts respectively, means carried by one of the sections for locking the same against movement relative to the other section in one direction, and means for automatically releasing said locking means to permit free movement of the parts in such direction, substantially as set forth.

IOO

IIO

2. In furniture,the combination with a movable part and a stationary part, of a connecting device comprising tWo telescopically-intertting sections, the exterior section being provided with a series of perforations, a pa'wl carried by the interior section arranged, when in operative position to engage one of the perforations, and means for automatically moving said pawl into inoperative position, substantially as set forth.

3. In furniture, the combination with the stationary part and a movable part, of an adjusting device between said parts comprising telescopically-intertting sections, one of the sections being provided With an automatically-reversible paw] and the other section having a surface with which the pawl engages when moved into operative position, substantially as set forth.

4. In furniture, the combination with the stationary part and a movable part, of an adjusting device arranged between said parts and comprising telescopically-interfittingsections, one of the sections being provided with a pawl arranged to occupy either an active or an inactive position, and the other part having a face with which the paWl when in active position is arranged to engage, this sec tion being also provided With stops or shoulders which alternately engage with the pawl and reverse its position when the telescopic members are moved to the limits of their relative movements, substantially as set forth.

5. In a chair, the combination With the frame, including an arm andas'winging back, of an adjusting device comprising a tubular section secured to the arm, said section being provided with a series of perforations, 7, and elongated openings, 8, a section secured to the back and telescoping into the tubular section, and a pawl carried by the interior section and arranged to traverse the line of perforations and the openings, 8, substantially as set forth.

6. In a chair, the combination with the frame, including an arm and a movable back, of an adjusting device comprising a tubular section secured to the arm, and provided with a series of perforations in its under side, a section secured to the back and telescoping into the tubular section, and a paWl carried by said interior section for engaging the perforations in the exterior section, the bearingface of said pawl being slightly beveled, as and for the purposes described.

FRANK L. HARRIS.

W'itnesses:

J. W. CHAPMAN, ROSE M. HASENOHR. 

